IB Service Trip in Xi’an

Morning

No trip to Xi’an would be complete without venturing out of the city and into the past with the Terracotta Warriors. This is one of the world’s most mysterious necropolises (just 1% of the whole complex has been excavated!) and a scientific marvel (ask our specialists about the worksheets we have available for this visit).

Afternoon

Forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Xi’an presents you with at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, which leans to the West and is deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Buddhist and architectural significance.

Evening

We hope you’ve worked up an appetite, because now you’re off to an all-you-can-eat dumpling feast, followed by a Tang Dynasty dance and music performance.

It’s time for service. Travel to a children’s home that The Learning Adventure has been working with for years. This home was founded for children whose legal guardians have been incarcerated. It’s important to us that we make a positive difference, so the organisation only approves projects they deem helpful. We recommend a building project for secondary/high school students and a more interactive learning-teaching project for younger students.

Morning

Take the morning to finish up your service project. Say goodbye to the friends you’ve made, then head back to Xi’an.

Afternoon

Roll up your sleeves and challenge yourself in a traditional calligraphy lesson near the Little Goose Pagoda. This pagoda has a fascinating architectural history – in 1487, a violent earthquake created a large crack down the middle. A subsequent earthquake in 1521 caused the crack to magically disappear overnight! Due to its unique hemisphere foundations, the pagoda is the architectural version of a never-fall doll.

Evening

Your service trip is almost over, so spend the evening in a reflection session, discussing what you’ve learned and experienced in China.

If you’ve got time, squeeze in a visit to a peaceful art street called Shu Yuan Men. This is the time to pick up some last-minute souvenirs!

Then, it’s home time. But it’s not over – your experiences in Xi’an will follow you back to the classroom…and beyond!